Or maybe the technical skills required are virtually impossible to find.

Regardless of the reasons the job is tough, one thing is certain: you have to hire someone to do it.

Great people may be hard to find, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed; it just means that you need a better approach. Today, we’re sharing a few tips to recruit for a tough job opening.

Be honest.
Being candid in your posting is the smartest approach. You may get more candidates to apply to a rose-colored description of the job, but they may not be good matches – ultimately turning you down at the offer phase or (worse yet) quitting after a short time.

It’s certainly acceptable to list perks, describe corporate culture and mention potential for advancement, but don’t let those factors mask the reasons the job is tough. Accurately describe the aspects that make the work difficult, so that the applicants who apply know the realities of the position’s day-to-day.

Communicate consistently with candidates.

Treat the candidates who inquire about, or actually apply to, your posting like gold. People who have the skills, mindset and tenacity to stick with tough jobs are extremely rare, so you can’t afford to lose them once they show interest:

If it’s feasible, ask hiring managers to personally respond to candidates’ messages or calls, to show how much you value them.

Get creative. Use the phone or video conferencing technology to fast-track screening and minimize candidate drop off.

Keep in touch with all viable candidates during the hiring process. If your top choice removes themselves from consideration, you won’t have to go back to the drawing board.

Point out the positives of the position.

For every challenging aspect of the role, come up with a compensating positive. For example, if the location is remote, point out that the candidate won’t have to deal with heavy rush-hour traffic. Or, if the working conditions are tough, explain the ways employees keep each other motivated.

Develop a strong partnership with a national employment agency.

When you have a hard-to-fill position, staffing and recruiting companies with a national presence are an indispensable ally. Recruiters use a variety of proven techniques and nationwide resources to help deliver qualified candidates, quickly and cost-effectively.

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CASCADE BUSINESS NEWS

Cascade Business News (CBN), Central Oregon's business newspaper, is local and family-owned and operated by Jeff Martin. CBN is published the first and third Wednesdays of each month. CBN is a division of Cascade Publications Inc.